In 1918 during the months of October - December New Zealand was struck by the Influenza pandemic that swept around the world. It is estimated that 25 million people died from influenza and complications and that 8573 were from New Zealand. In two months New Zealand lost about half as many people as it had lost in the whole of the First World War. No other event has killed as many New Zealand people in such a short time. Many New Zealand towns were decimated, whilst others escaped relatively unscathed. The Military Camps were the only places struck with uniform severity. The Featherstone Camp lost 177 men to Influenza and a total of 400 people died in the Wairarapa district. [Source: New Zealand History Online]. This page is dedicated to the memories of loved ones our family knew and were related to.

(Above) This is a list of the number of Influenza patients in Hospitals and temprary Hospitals on the 29th November 1918

Above: LittleJoyce Banfield Cowleywas the daughter of Joseph William Edwin Cowley and Joan Ada Steward.Joseph Cowley'ssister Lily May Cowley marriedCharles Stephen Gaskinwho is from the same Gaskinfamily that Alice May Hoopermarried into (see above)

Above: Herbert Martin Wilton (1879-1919) died of the result of a car accident but had failing health due too influenza. He was the son of William Wilton (1829-1904) & Elizabeth Burdett Jones (1836-1919)